No health without mental health - no mental health without physical activity: it’s not too late to act!

“Without mental health there can be no true physical health” (Chisholm, 1954). Mental health is crucial to the overall health and well-being of individuals and societies and there are strong evidence highlighting the bidirectional relationship of mental diseases with physical health outcomes. However, despite the number of papers and official documents edited, health policies continue to lag behind the evidence in this regard, and awareness actions are still required. The burden of mental disorders implies the search of new, cost-effective strategies to prevent and treat mental diseases and their complications. Scientific literature is showing increasing interest in the relationships between physical activity and mental health. Regular participation in physical activity is associated with well recognized improved aspects of mental well-being and reduced symptoms of several mental health disorders. There has been consideration of the role of exercise as: a therapy for the treatment of mental diseases, a strategy of coping and managing mental problems, a way of improving the quality of life of people living with mental health problems, and an instrument to prevent the onset of mental health problems (Probst & Carraro, 2014). The key-objective of this symposium is to debate different aspects regarding the role of exercise in the promotion of mental well-being and in the treatment of mental diseases. Speakers will discuss the effects of physical activity in replenishing self-regulatory resources, the results of an educational intervention targeted to motivate people with psychiatric diseases to adopt active lifestyles, and the structure of intervention designed to reach the Healthy Active Lives (HeAL) declaration for physical activity participation in young people experiencing a first episode psychosis. References Outline for a Study Group on World Health and the Survival of the Human Race. Material drawn from articles and speeches by Brock Chisholm. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1954. Available from: whqlibdoc.who.int/hist/.../ChisholmBrock_1953_Compilation.pdf Probst M., & Carraro A. (Eds.) (2014). Mental health and physical activity: a practice oriented approach. Milano: EdiErmes.